Location Crete, Greece
Client GEK Terna
Services Project Management
Project Value €2 Billion
As part of a 35-year concession agreement with the Hellenic Republic, GEK Terna has established a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to redesign, finance, reconstruct, operate, and maintain 187 kilometers of the Northern Road Axis of Crete (VOAK) from Kissamos to Heraklion. Valued at approximately €2 billion, the VOAK project is one of the largest transportation infrastructure investments currently underway in Europe. The initiative will transform Crete’s primary east-west corridor through a complete redesign and reconstruction program that aligns the highway with European Union standards, improves operational efficiency, enhances safety, and reduces congestion.
Upon completion, the upgraded 187-kilometer corridor will include 24 grade-separated interchanges, 23 twin tunnels totaling 26 kilometers, 18 cut-and-cover tunnels totaling 4.8 kilometers, 79 bridges with a combined length of 10.85 kilometers, 12 overpasses, and 89 underpasses. Additional infrastructure will include 3 interchange ramp bridges, 7 side road bridges, 32 side road underpasses, and a 64.1-kilometer service road network. The project will also incorporate a toll collection system, motorist service stations, operations and maintenance centers, and associated infrastructure to support the highway’s long-term operation.
The project is expected to deliver a variety of benefits for residents, businesses, and visitors by strengthening regional connectivity and supporting Crete’s tourism and agricultural sectors. Early enabling works—including the installation of passing lanes, median separation bollards, anti-skid pavement treatments, and upgraded road markings—have already improved safety conditions along the corridor.
GEK Terna appointed Hill to lead the independent engineering team for the project. In this role, Hill is working closely with the Hellenic Republic, the concessionaire, lenders, and other project stakeholders and providing technical oversight and monitoring services throughout the project’s design and construction phases to help ensure compliance with the concession requirements.
